All of the talking points as Bristol Rovers drew 4-4 with Tottenham Hotspur Under-21s in a frantic EFL Trophy clash
Not many Bristol Rovers fans take much notice of the EFL Trophy nowadays in its modern format. The inclusion of academy sides has been seen as popular by very few individuals across the Football League. However, it is part and parcel of being in League One and League Two and is now customary every year for the Gas.
This season, like last, Tottenham Hotspur’s Under-21s were included in Rovers’ group and were their first opponents in the competition. Unlike last term though, Spurs didn’t bring players on the brink of the first team with Mikey Moore and Will Lankshear scoring last term, who are now on loan at Rangers and Oxford United respectively and went on to score for the senior side that campaign. That evening finished 3-3 with Spurs winning the shootout.
To the young visitors’ credit, they looked as though they would score every time they went forward, and pretty much did in the first half. Three goals within six minutes saw the Pirates 3-0 down after 16 minutes and you feared that Rovers could find themselves at the wrong end of a cricket score.
A formation change gave the Gas far more control and, by the end of the 90 minutes, they were probably kicking themselves that they didn’t go on to win the game after coming back from 3-0 down to draw 4-4. Admittedly, Tottenham did see their goalkeeper sent off midway through the second half.
After a frantic game, the resulting penalty shootout was just as hectic as, despite a miss and a saved effort, Rovers still earned the extra point with a 5-4 success.
As stated prior, the EFL Trophy isn’t a major priority for anyone associated with the Gas this season but Darrell Clarke wants to reinstill a winning habit in north Bristol.
With all that, here are some of the stand out talking points…
Bristol Rovers' Swiss striker on a roll after first two goals
Even if the game had ended in a 3-2 defeat for Bristol Rovers, the major positive from the night would have been Fabrizio Cavegn getting off the mark. The fact that he scored his first two goals for the Gas was a bonus, and on another day he would have had a hattrick.
The Swiss replaced another goalscorer in Ellis Harrison at half-time and brought refreshing energy and pace to the front line as he pressed effectively.
When it comes to strikers, it always seems to be about confidence and now Cavegn has seen that ball hit the back of the net not once but twice, hopefully Rovers will benefit from a confident frontman in League Two.
Eight changes but few knocks on the door
Darrell Clarke was always going to make alterations for Tuesday night and eight changes was therefore unsurprising.
They mainly came in the backline with Brad Young replacing Luke Southwood in goal while it was an entirely different defence to the one that started Bristol Rovers’ 1-0 win over Cambridge United three days prior.
Most of those players were ones who have seen limited game time this season or have recently found themselves out of the starting line up. Considering how they started the game though, it’s tough to argue a case for most of the players that came in to be close to getting the nod for this weekend’s League Two trip to Grimsby Town or other future league matches.
Debutant Dan Ellison will be in the spotlight for a tough substitution in the first half but he certainly wasn’t the only one struggling out there at that point with the Gas 3-0 down.
After such a start, it does beg the question, have we seen the last of some players in a starting line up for a while?
A rare but welcome feat
Aside from the fact that Tuesday night was the first time Bristol Rovers have scored four goals in one competitive game since a 4-2 FA Cup victory at Crewe Alexandra in 2023, coming from behind to register a result is something that Rovers haven’t done enough of in recent seasons.
Last term, the Gas took just five points from losing positions in League One, something that has to seriously improve.
Sure, there are elements such as the fact that Rovers ended up playing against 10 men for a good chunk of the second half and, perhaps, the youthfulness and lack of senior experience of their opponents. Regardless, they showed good character which we will hopefully see more of under Darrell Clarke.
Another memorable evening for the academy
Although Tom English will grab the headlines for getting onto the pitch and making his senior debut, there were also places on the bench for scholars Excel Iwhiwhu and Deji Odumboni while youngster Kian Hill was also involved.
It was a great moment for English though who came on with a handful of minutes left to play. The right-back got on at Oxford United in Bristol Rovers’ final friendly of pre-season and is now the latest academy graduate to make his senior debut.
Additionally, Ollie Dewsbury played the full 90 minutes and was unfortunate not to score.
Asked post-match about English, assistant head coach Rhys Carr said to Bristol Live: “Yes, it's brilliant, isn't it? I'm a father of two boys who are in academy systems and he'll go away, probably won't sleep tonight, really excited, and you know that's brilliant for him.
“It's a proud moment for him, a proud one for his family, but then also hopefully he's got a little bit of a flavour to think, 'oh, I like that and I need to work double hard now to make sure I get another opportunity' because they can't be given in the game. They've got to be earned.”